ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album NotesPIECES: Complete arrangements which include additional lead, rhythm, & bass instrumentation.BITS: Scaled-down renditions which, for the most part, use basic guitar rhythm and no bass.

This recording project is a virtual potpourri of original tunes I’ve composed over the last four decades. Every piece and bit is a result of noodling, which in my case means picking up a mandolin when I’m watching late-night television and mindlessly playing rhythms and notes in whatever key I initially land. I’ve never deliberately set out to write a tune, and because I don’t read or write music or immediately record ideas, I rely on my instinct and memory when I hit on something which “speaks to me”. I’d speculate that’s the way most of our folk and bluegrass ancestors did it, sans the TV of course.

Noodlin’* - Like I said, for me it all starts with noodling. In this exercise, if you listen closely and use a bit of imagination, you can hear what eventually developed into Joe’s Old Clock.

Old Columbus Blues - Inspired by the traditional tune, Columbus Stockade Blues, this piece was taken directly from the 1999 Rebel recording, This Old Town, which included Mike Auldridge on resonator guitar, Richard Bennett on lead/rhythm guitar and Joe Sharp on acoustic bass.

New Sweet Home* - Basically, this is Home Sweet Home with a few added chords. I originally recorded it on Classic JAG, but decided to simplify it for this project. I play backup rhythm on octave mandolin.

Jesse & Don - Jesse McReynolds (mandolin) and Don Rich (electric guitar/ tenor singer/fiddle player) are two of my early musical heroes. This tune was indeed inspired by Buckaroo and does feature a bit of cross-picking, of which Jesse is still the undisputed master. I am joined by Stuart Martin on 12-string guitar & Steve Riggs on bass.

Fall In - One of Earl Scruggs’s classic banjo tunes was titled Bugle Call Rag and, as one might assume, it was inspired by a military bugle call, in that case, Reveille. Likewise, this tune was taken from another familiar bugle favorite (or non-favorite, depending on how you regarded your military experience) Call to Quarters/Assembly, which meant basically “fall in”…On the double! Bill Brown assists on rhythm guitar.

Florentine Waltz -From the Classic JAG album, the title is a nod to the Florentine/F-style mandolins introduced by Gibson around the turn of the 20th century. The tune is inspired by one of my favorite Reno & Smiley classics “Emotions” and demonstrates my belief that tremolo and double-stops are as important as quick single-string exercises in developing mandolin technique. Along with Wyatt Rice and Mark Schatz, it features the soulful fiddle of Rickie Simpkins.

El Doggo - This Tico Tico inspired tune was barely beyond the noodling stage when I presented it to The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band (Eddie Adcock, Tom Gray, Randy Waller & yours truly) when we were in the studio recording a CD. I gave some serious thought to using that cut on this project, but to be honest, I wasn’t that happy with my own performance, so I wanted another shot at it. This time around I enlisted Jens Kruger on banjo, Emory Lester on bass and, through mutual friend Art Wachter, I was able to connect with guitar virtuoso Frank Vignola, who took time from his busy schedule to deliver a performance I can’t even put into words.

Dub’s Lin*- It’s no secret I love traditional Irish music and have traveled to Ireland with my wife, Gloria, on several occasions to hear it played the way it’s supposed to sound. So, you’ve already got the Dublin connection, and some of you mandolin players might have figured out the mando-lin thing (far fetched? maybe) but in this case, the name Dub is a nod to my friends Robin & Linda Williams, or the Dubs as they list their business, Dubs, Inc.

Glide Path - The title of this piece is a term that you become very familiar with when you live near a major airport, in our case, Dulles International. It originally appeared on the ABG recording of This Old Town and I decided to re-record it here mainly because of the different feel it takes on when you utilize the banjo. To capture the Jimmy Martin-like sound I envisioned, I was fortunate to enlist Bill Emerson, an alumnus of Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys (mid-1960’s) and with whom I worked in the early ‘70’s as members of the Country Gentlemen. Joining in are Orrin Star on guitar and Emory Lester on bass.

Classic JAG - this bit or condensed version was taken from the original cut and title tune of the 1989 Webco release on LP. Pinecastle Records eventually bought the entire Webco catalog but chose not to re-release this project since it had already likely generated most of its sales. During that time I was working with the Tony Rice Unit and this recording features band mates Wyatt Rice and his incomparable rhythm guitar and the rock-steady bass of Mark Schatz.

Adrienne’s Reel - Named for my daughter, the original cut appeared on the Classic JAG album. In this updated version, I trade leads with friends Orrin Star on guitar and Jens Kruger on banjo – both of whom are great melodic players who interpret my tunes the way I hear them being played on their respective instruments. Speaking of great players, I’ve gone to my good friend Emory Lester countless times over the years with recording requests that range from triple fiddle parts to lead/rhythm guitar, twin mandolin parts and now, bass. He’s one of those very gifted musicians who plays everything he touches at a level that most of us can’t even comprehend. Brilliant!

Promise Me* - This melody has been haunting me for well over 20 years. My choice here was to use simple guitar back-up to the mandolin and octave mandolin for the harmony part.

Tidwell Pike* - My sole intention here is to pay tribute to Fred Pike and Sam Tidwell, two of my early musical mentors. I credit their guidance and advice for my playing like Jimmy Gaudreau and not somebody else.

Edsel’s Tailpipe -Obviously not a hornpipe (hey, who said you can’t write a tailpipe?) this is a throwback to my pre-bluegrass days as a rock & roll guitar player and the chord progression found in the Ventures classic “Walk Don’t Run”. This tune first appeared on my first mandolin project which was released on Puritan Records in 1978 and has long been out of print. This new version features Orrin Star on guitar, Jens Kruger on banjo and Steve Riggs on bass.

Joe’s Old Clock* -A new take on an old tune, I have more of a problem saying it than playing it. Growing up in Rhode Island, when I was learning to play the original, it was Ol’ Joe Clahk. Of course it wasn’t uncommon to hear someone refer to the “clahk on the wall” as well, so even after 40+ years of not living there, I sometimes slip.

Grassnost - A tongue-in-cheek title for sure, this title is based on the term Glasnost, which was popular when Mikhail Gorbachev was Head of State in what was then the Soviet Union. The Russian-like tune came first and I figured the title would get a few chuckles when I perform it live, which it often does -- along with a few groans and lots of puzzled looks. I guess, like a lot of things, you just had to be there. Orrin Star on guitar, Jens Kruger on banjo and Emory Lester on bass.

Just That Simple* -This incorporates elements from countless fiddle tunes I’ve been exposed to over the years, particularly Leather Britches. The title hints of my basic philosophy and one of the reasons I chose to place it toward the end of the CD….when it comes to composing tunes,-keep it simple and state the melody.

Bonus Track : She’s a Cowgirl - A couple years back, Stuart Martin and I had the opportunity to co-produce a 3-tune demo session with a young singer-songwriter from Casper Wyoming who goes by the name of Lainie M. Her original lyrics were kept intact but I chose to slow it down a bit and do a nearly complete makeover of the melody which we all agreed suited the song better. I’m very proud of the production and felt that more people might enjoy hearing it, thus my motivation to include it on this project. Along with Lainie on lead vocal are Moondi Klein on guitar and harmony vocals, Mike Auldridge on pedal steel and resophonic guitar, Jen Smith on cello and yours truly on mandola.